From: chance wolf (chance_wolf@shaw.ca)
Date: Mon Mar 01 2004 - 09:55:36 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: "m35products" <m35prod@optonline.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 11:41 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Finally got one! But still wondering..
> specified by TACOM for the Extended Service Program (ESP) that was the
> source of the M35A3 series. It is also in use by National Guard and
Reserve
> units in most states. Thousands of our systems are currently in use by our
> government, and those of our allies.
I learned something. I've only seen one or two M35A3s, and never close
enough to have a look at the steering components.
> I am sorry that your friend's father's attempt to adapt a junkyard-found,
> commercial application (of which there are literally hundreds) to a
specific
> military one resulted in a "nightmare". Had he contacted the factory, or
> us, at Inter Agency Motor Pool, we would have been pleased to have gotten
> him the appropriate M35-specific hardware and bracketry, assisted in the
> adaptation, handed him his stuffed bear, tucked him in, and told him that
> everything would be OK in the morning.
Yeah. Believe it or not, a version of that very conversation took place, but
unfortunately since this fellow is both an ardent home-machinist with more
lathes than General Motors and 30 years of employment with Canada's biggest
airlines - he thought he'd Don Quixote his way through it one angle at a
time. Not my cup'o'tea, but...whatever pats your cat.
> Please be assured that while I appreciate your (misguided) willingness to
> advise our mutual friends on this forum, please also be assured that our
> company policy relies on total truthfulness, and any hint of impropriety
or
> mistatements could mean the loss of not only business, but business
> reputation, as well. Therefore, perhaps you would like to amend your
remarks
> publicly so that our potential customers are not misled, and so that our
> business integrity does not suffer any damages.
Now, here's where you have to be careful not to be perceived as bullying
collectors. If there's anything I want clarification on from a vendor - I'm
not going to hesitate to ask. Most companies I deal with do not interpret
those questions as slights or "hints of impropriety", and as you're in a
collectors' forum, you're going to get questions both informed and
uninformed. If you're able to enlighten us all from position of greater
knowledge, by all means please do - as that is both the purpose of the list
and the nature of the hobby at large. Please don't sling veiled threats and
suggest implied ulterior motives behind any of the above, because you're
doing neither yourself nor this forum any favours.
I'd also work on that whole..tact..thing, because it's somewhat inadvisable
for a vendor to claim collectors are somehow "misguided" in sharing their
own experiences with a vehicle type for the benefit of all with no profit
motive either expressed or implied. I've done that for nearly 20 years.
It's habit forming. If I'm wrong, I very much appreciate the correction
because the next time someone asks I'll have better information. That too
is the purpose of the hobby, and by extension, this very list.
Business reputation has a great deal to do with product, honesty, integrity
and truthfulness. I'm glad that those appear to be hallmarks of your own
company. I would suggest perhaps "attitude" be next on the list when the
subject of future directions comes up at your next AGM.
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